In the art of automobile engineering, an ever increasing number of luxury, convenience, safety, and performance features and options are offered for today's automobiles. With the development of automobile based computers and electronics, electronic control units (ECU's) have been developed as a common means of controlling multiple automobile systems and subsystems. Some of the ECU's featured in modern automobiles include the Engine Control Unit, the Transmission Control Unit, the Telephone Control Unit, the Man Machine Interface, the Door Control Unit, the Seat Control Unit, the Climate Control Unit, the Suspension Control Unit, and several other such control units.
In order to interface with the various ECU's, a combination of local networks such as Controller Area Networks (CAN's) or FlexRay Networks (look at: http://www.vector-informatik.com/vi_flexray_solutions_en,,223.html) have been developed as a means for connecting to and transmitting data from the ECU's. The standard CAN-bus is a broadcast differential serial bus that has been incorporated as a standard interface on numerous modern automobile systems. It's follow up standard, FlexRay, builds upon previous standards while increasing speed, fault tolerance and scalability at the same time. CAN-bus systems are commonly used by automobile manufacturers as a means for interfacing with the various ECU's, they are also used by manufacturers of aftermarket automobile accessories and systems as a means of accessing the various ECU's.
Designers of aftermarket automobile products allow automobile owners to add features and systems to their automobiles that may or may not be offered by the manufacturer of their vehicle.
One of the challenges commonly faced by developers of aftermarket automobile accessories is achieving seamless integration with existing, factory automobile systems. For example, it is undesirable for such aftermarket systems to interfere with the factory performance, appearance, or ergonomics of factory systems. Thus, aftermarket automobile improvements that integrate with factory networks, such as CAN-bus and ECU systems, such that they are not visible or intrusive, are highly desirable.
Along with the seamless integration to factory automobile systems, it is also highly desirable that aftermarket automobile improvements facilitate user-friendly controls and interfaces. Commonly, such improvements require additional displays, indicator lights, buttons or other such undesirable accessories in order to facilitate user operations. Such systems are highly undesirable for a number of reasons. First, such additional appurtenances are unsightly and interfere with factory automobile features and ergonomics. For example, some accessories are attached to the automobile by a suction cup that attaches to the vehicle's windshield. Such systems are unreliable, because the suction cup can easily become dislodged and are unattractive because they interfere with the aesthetic design of the automobile interior. Other aftermarket systems require accessories, such as keychain attached transmitters, in order to operate. These systems are likewise undesirable because of the additional parts and accessories that they require. Even when visible aftermarket accessories are not subject to these shortcomings, they are nevertheless undesirable because they may be attractive to thieves passing by the vehicle.
Another challenge to designers of aftermarket systems is integrating multiple aftermarket features into a single product. Because each of the above problems is usually compounded when multiple functions are allowed, it is especially desirable that aftermarket products performing multiple functions be concealed and seamlessly integrated into automobile systems.
Aftermarket automobile systems allow users to improve on features that are oftentimes not offered by automobile manufactures. For example, automobile manufactures often require that an automobile transmission be placed in park, an emergency brake be engaged, or the vehicle be traveling at a slow speed, prior to allowing the opening or closing of a cabriolet top. Producers of aftermarket systems, such as Wilhelmy IT, Inc., produce products that allow vehicle owners to install products that overcome these requirements. Such systems, however, commonly require additional components, such as key chain controllers. Also, these systems fail to integrate with vehicle controls, such that the user may view and control aftermarket functions from the factory vehicle controls and displays.
Other systems are known for providing vehicle features, such as those that automatically adjust rear view mirrors when turn signals are activated. U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,446 to Moore, for example, discloses such a system. Moore's device is undesirable, however, because it relies upon antiquated technologies and is not integrable with modern ECU and CAN-bus systems.
Other systems are known in the art for supplying automobile controls such as those that activate hazard lights when the automobile's reverse gear is engaged. U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,925 to Knauff et al., for example, discloses one such system. Knauff's patent, however, fails to disclose a system that is integrable as an aftermarket accessory to vehicles through the vehicle CAN-bus.
Another such system is disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,023,221 and 5,135,119, to Michelotti and Browne, respectively, which disclose systems for activating vehicle hazard lights upon activation of the vehicle's anti-lock braking systems. These systems, similarly, fail to disclose a system that is integrable as an aftermarket accessory through vehicle CAN-busses.
While some such systems are known in the art, the existing devices often fail to offer these systems and improvements as an aftermarket accessory. What is more, when such systems are disclosed as aftermarket accessories, rarely is the system seamlessly integrable to the vehicle ECU's and its local networks, such as CAN-bus. Also, the aftermarket systems rarely allow integration such that their operations may be controlled through factory vehicle controls and displayed on factory vehicle displays.
Thus, there remains a long felt need in the art for an aftermarket automobile accessory that allows multiple performance and convenience functions to be added to a vehicle through the vehicle CAN-bus, that operates through the factory vehicle controls, and that is displayed on the existing vehicle displays.